3 Sacramento Officers Shot, 2 Killed In Shooting Spree

Danny Oliver, a California sheriff's deputy, has been identified as the officer killed in a shooting spree in Sacramento on Friday. Photo: Flickr

Two California sheriff's deputies were shot and killed Friday during a shooting spree that spanned 30 miles and two counties. Two suspects are currently in police custody.

Deputy Danny Oliver was fatally shot in the forehead Friday when he investigated a suspicious vehicle parked in a Motel 6 parking lot in Sacramento, officials said. The 47-year-old father of two is a 15-year veteran of the department. The identity of the second deputy killed is unknown.

One other deputy and a bystander were also shot during the crime spree. Placer County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Dena Erwin said Friday afternoon that authorities have captured and arrested 34-year-old Marcelo Marquez, a suspect in the shooting. A female suspect, who has not been named, was taken into custody earlier. Both will be taken to Placer County Jail.

The crime spree began at 10:22 a.m., when Oliver and his partner approached a suspicious looking vehicle in the motel parking lot. A man and a woman were inside. The man inside reportedly fired a shot at Oliver at close range. The shot struck Oliver in the forehead before he could return fire, the Sacramento Bee reports. Oliver’s partner returned fire, but it is unclear whether the shots hit the assailant, who fled the vehicle and carjacked another down the street.

The driver of the carjacked car reportedly refused to give the car’s keys to the assailant. He was shot in the head. The victim has not been named but was taken to an area hospital and underwent surgery, according to News10. The man and woman then approached a gardener, Jose Cruz, demanding his pickup truck.

"I need your keys," Cruz said recounting the conversation. "Hurry up, because they're chasing me." The couple helped Cruz unhitch his trailer from the truck and then fled.

The pair then fled to Carmichael, California, where a park ranger spotted them changing their clothes. A manhunt ensued that shut down nearby streets and forced 19 schools to lock down.

Soon after, the pickup truck was spotted heading up Interstate 80 to Auburn. Two Placer County sheriff’s deputies approached the vehicle. Both were injured by gunfire and were taken to Sutter Rosevillle Medical Center. Their conditions remain unknown.

Soon after, the woman who was accompanying the gunman was apprehended by authorities. The gunman then fled to a residential area near Placer High School. The school was put under lockdown and later evacuated after 3 p.m. Just after 4 p.m., Marquez was found and captured in a home on Belmont Drive.